Christmas In Storybrooke
by OnTheCyberSeas
Summary: Storybrooke celebrates its first Christmas after the curse. Set around Queen of Hearts (slightly AU). Pairings include Red Beauty, Sleeping Warrior, Snowing, Mad Whale, Grumpy/Nova and some Swan Queen.
1. Prologue

The town square was bustling as the citizens of Storybrooke congregated there, putting up the town's Christmas tree. This Christmas felt more magical than usual, not just because Mr. Gold had literally brought magic back to the town. It was their first Christmas with their memories returned, and there was a lot to celebrate. Families were reunited, lost loves were found, and friendships were rediscovered. It had been a little stressful at first, realizing that they had lived for twenty-eight years as someone else would be a shock to anyone, and soon after the curse Emma and Snow White were sucked into a mysterious portal as the town was thrown into chaos. Luckily, they had managed to get back to the town, and things were slowly getting back to normal. Well, except for Mulan and Aurora who had climbed through the portal with Emma and Snow and were struggling to adjust to their new world.

Snow and David walked around the tree helping those that were decorating. Leroy and the dwarves were giving out hot chocolate while Leroy kept glancing over to where the fairies were gathered. Mulan and Aurora were watching in awe as Ruby and her girlfriend Belle were stringing the last lights on the tree and lighting them up.

"Is it magic?" Mulan asked for the tenth time.

"It's better than magic," Belle replied, smiling over at her.

When all the lights were on and working, the Blue Fairy used her magic to place the star on top of the tree and the citizens all cheered.

"Good job everyone," Snow addressed the crowd, "Don't forget to come to my party on Christmas Eve." The citizens excitedly talked among themselves and they started to sit back and admire their work.

Emma and Henry were sitting on a bench marveling at the tree. Emma was very nervous, since this was her very first Christmas with her family. Before coming here, she had spent every Christmas on her own, drinking a bottle of scotch and waking up with a massive hangover. It was so weird that she now had a mother, a father, a son, never mind the fact that they were all fairy tale characters.

"What are you thinking about?" Henry brought her out of her thoughts.

Emma glanced down at him. Despite everything that had happened, he still had his usual grin plastered on his face.

"Just about how I'm looking forward to spending the holidays with you and Mary Margaret, and David, even if I have to share you with Regina," she leaned back against the cool bench, "What are you going to ask Santa for this year?"

Henry laughed, "Everyone knows that Santa isn't real." Emma stared at him in disbelief. The boy who had convinced the entire town that they were fairy tale characters and was right about it didn't believe in Santa Claus.

At that moment, Regina walked up to the town square. Those that had already seen her backed away in fear and soon the square was deadly quiet. She looked around at the townspeople and smirked.

"Sorry I'm late," she said without malice, but a huge dose of irony.

Snow and Charming stepped forward. The other townspeople walked up behind them.

"What do you want Regina?" Snow wasn't interested in playing any games today.

"I just want to see my son," she glanced over at the bench where Henry and Emma were sitting, "I was going to tell him what I was planning for Christmas." Charming stepped forward, a fist replacing his usual sword.

"He's not spending Christmas with you." Regina just smiled at him.

"Even though he is your grandson, he is still my son." Charming looked over at Snow, who stepped forward to join her husband. Henry ran over and stood in between his mother and grandparents, Emma trailing behind him.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll see you at Snow's party and we'll meet for lunch on Christmas Day." He glanced over at Emma who nodded in agreement at those terms. Snow, however, was not in agreement.

"You are not invited to my house and Henry will be spending Christmas with his biological family." Henry tried to speak up, but Snow interrupted him. "You may have raised him, but he is not your son."

The words seemed to hit Regina pretty hard, but she smiled to mask her pain. "Very well then. Enjoy your awful party, but do know that I raised Henry for ten years and no matter what you say I am still his mother. Goodbye Snow." With that, she turned around and strutted away. Though as soon as she had left the area, she started to cry.

Emma turned to her mother. "Was that really necessary?"

"We're going to spend Christmas as a family and it's going to be perfect."

The rest of the townspeople soon shifted their attention away from the scene went back to their homes. Ruby, Belle, Mulan, and Aurora looked at each other.

"Is Christmas always this crazy?" Belle looked at Ruby.

"It can be," her girlfriend replied.

"I still don't quite understand what the big deal is about this 'Christmas,'" Aurora looked confused.

"You'll see, all of you," said Ruby beaming.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you so much for all of your reviews, follows, and favorites! I really hope you enjoy the story. I know that a lot of you are reading for certain pairings, and I want to explain what I'm planning for this story and beyond. Each pairing will have it's own storyline, but not every storyline and character will be in every chapter. I am planning a prequel or sequel story for each pairing set in this universe. The next multi-chapter in this universe will be Swan Queen heavy and will follow up on some build-up in this story. I'm trying not to disappoint anyone and I hope you like what I have planned.

* * *

Emma huffed in frustration, glaring at the seemingly endless pile of paperwork sitting at her desk. When she took the job of town Sheriff, she never realized how much paperwork she would have to do. It seemed like every time she made progress, it would just multiply. She didn't have anyone to help her either. She had made Mulan her deputy when she and Aurora had come to Storybrooke with her and her mom, but Mulan was still getting used to their world and was of no help, even though she was great to have a conversation with.

Mulan came into the station, carrying a take-out coffee cup, and Emma got up to greet her. She grabbed the cup from her and took a sip. She desperately needed the coffee. Mulan was staring at the cup with curiosity.

"Want some?" She offered the cup to her. Mulan cautiously took the cup from her and took a sip. She immediately spit it out.

"What is this strange beverage?" Emma couldn't help but laugh a little. She didn't know how people in the Enchanted Forest got by without coffee. Though the answer was probably, like pretty much everything else, magic. She took the cup back from her and grinned.

"It's an acquired taste. Not everyone in this land likes it either." She sat down next to Mulan, taking another sip of her coffee. "So, excited for your first Christmas?"

Mulan considered this for a bit, "It's a all a bit…overwhelming. But the way that Ruby and Granny talk about it, it sounds like an interesting tradition. And I get to spend Christmas with Aurora and your mother's party sounds nice."

Emma groaned at the mention of Snow's party. She was looking forward to it, she really was. Unfortunately, Snow had become obsessive about the party, not resting until every detail was perfect. Emma had tried to help out, but after being yelled at for the fifth time for the incorrect placement of the wall decorations, she had taken Henry to Granny's for hot chocolate and left Charming to try and calm her down. "Yeah," she said, "it's kind of my first real Christmas too."

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Leroy almost shouted at Snow. She looked a little hurt but continued pleading, holding up the dwarf sized Santa suit in front of her.

"Please Leroy, it's just for an hour."

"Why can't Dopey do it? I'm not the only dwarf here! Besides, most of the kids here don't believe in Santa."

"I've asked the other six already, they said no," Snow huffed in annoyance, "I know that, but I figured the kids would like it. They did believe in him for the last twenty-eight years, I figured they would be more comfortable with a Santa here."

"It's about time they stopped believing in him," Leroy snapped, turning around and walking out of the apartment. David walked over and tried to comfort Snow.

"It's okay Mary Margaret," he leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"I can't right now, I have to get back to work." She walked back over to the kitchen and David watched, trying to figure out how to get his wife to relax.

* * *

The clock at Granny's finally read one o'clock. Ruby practically ran over to Granny, who held out Belle's lunch.

"Make sure you get back here on time." Ruby nodded excitedly as she took the bag.

"Yes Granny, see you soon, love you, bye!" She was out the door before Granny could respond. She soon arrived at the library, opened the door, and found her girlfriend sitting at the front desk, helping her assistant Aurora sort some books. Ruby's heart pounded in her ribs as Belle looked at her with those beautiful eyes and smiled at her with that sweet smile. She made her way over to the desk, plopping Belle's lunch on the counter.

"Hey," said Belle, standing up to greet her girlfriend.

"Hey," Ruby replied, closing the distance between her and the librarian's lips. She heard Aurora clear her throat and she reluctantly pulled away.

"Hey Aurora," Ruby smiled at the new girl, "Granny wanted me to remind you and Mulan to come over at ten tomorrow."

Aurora nodded, "Sure thing, I can't wait." She looked between the two of them, "I'll give you some alone time." She walked out of the library to go to Granny's.

When they were alone, Ruby looked back at Belle, "so where were we?" She pulled the librarian in for another kiss.

They talked about Christmas traditions and Snow's party, as Belle ate her lunch. They were so lost in each other that they completely lost track of time. They would have stayed there all day, if it weren't for Aurora returning from the diner with an irritated Granny in tow.

"What did I tell you?" Granny yelled, but with a little twinkle in her eyes. She was happy that Ruby had finally found someone that made her happy, if only she would come back when she told her to.

Ruby shuffled nervously, "Sorry Granny, just give me a minute." Granny stepped outside of the library. Ruby took Belle's hand in hers.

"Belle, I…" Ruby froze looking like she wanted to say something more, Belle waited expectantly. Ruby cleared her throat. "I…. I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight."

"Me too Ruby," Belle replied, kissing her, "I'll be counting down the hours." Ruby pulled away from Belle, already missing her comfort. She walked back to the diner with Granny, tuning out her lecture.

Back at the diner, she went into the freezer to pick up some things. She hit her head repeatedly against the door. "I love you," she said to herself, "Why is it so hard to say those three little words?"

* * *

Back at the station, Emma was showing Mulan how to work the phone, when it rang suddenly. Emma picked it up.

"Sheriff's station," Emma paused for whoever was on the other line, "We'll check it out, thanks for calling." She hung up the phone and looked over at Mulan.

"Someone called to report a disturbance in the woods." She grabbed her gun and handed Mulan her sword. Things had been relatively quiet recently, and Emma was looking forward to doing some actual Sheriff work that hopefully didn't involve fighting trolls or crazy mothers or hook-handed pirates. She stepped out of the station and Mulan followed. She locked up and they were on their way to the woods.

They were deep into the woods and hadn't seen or heard anything unusual for the past half hour. Emma was about to give up and head back home to pick up Henry, when she heard a twig snap behind them. Emma pointed her gun in the direction of the sound and to her surprise, found a trailer in the middle of the woods. She had never seen it before and she didn't know anyone in Storybrooke lived out in the woods. "Stay behind me," she whispered to Mulan, whom had her sword raised, prepared for battle.

Emma and Mulan crept up to the trailer. At the door Emma raised her fist and rapped it on the door.

"Sheriff's Department." A muffled shout of, "Don't come in here," was the only reply. Emma opened the door, which was surprisingly unlocked. She stepped inside and was greeted by a sight that she never thought she would see again. Her mouth dropped.

"August?"


	3. Chapter 2

August Booth had been dreading the day that he would be found. He had hoped that the curse breaking would return him to his human state. He was very displeased when he woke up and found that he was still wooden. He had been watching over his father and Archie, but he couldn't work up the courage to see them. So he exiled himself to the woods, finding a deserted trailer in a clearing and making it his home. He knew that someone would find him some day, but he hoped that it wouldn't be the savior herself. He didn't want her to see him like this again. Fate had other plans, and here she was, along with a strange Chinese girl that he had never seen before who was wielding a sword. He had so many things he wanted to say to Emma, so many regrets that he had to apologize for.

"Hi, Emma," he said weakly, "Welcome to my home." He gestured at the couch against the wall. "Sit down."

Emma narrowed her eyes at him. Now that she had gotten over the initial shock of seeing him, she had so many questions for him. She sat down and looked over at Mulan, who was really confused and glaring daggers at the wooden man.

Not bothering to wait for August, she burst into her questions. "How long have you been out here? What have you been doing? Why…?"

"I've been living here since the curse broke. I don't know why I haven't changed back. I just thought it would be better for everyone if I stayed out here." Emma's expression softened.

"What makes you say that? Your father and Archie have been wondering where you are. They want to see you."

"Can somebody tell me what's going on?" Mulan looked between the two getting more and more confused by the minute. August ignored her.

"I've done terrible things. I've ruined lives. I'm so sorry, Emma. Especially for what I did to you."

"You were a kid. You made a mistake. Everyone's made a mistake."

"It's not just that. What happened with Neal…" he was cut off immediately.

"What are you talking about? How do you even know who Neal is?" Suddenly, something clicked for her. She raised her hand and slapped him. It didn't hurt physically, but August felt it in his heart. Emma stood up, a new resolve washed over her.

"Get up," she said firmly.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I'm taking you to the hospital."

"I'm fine."

"I don't care. You're coming with me, or my deputy will bring you in by force." Mulan drew her sword and August knew that there was no point in arguing with the savior.

* * *

Regina Mills stood at her window, watching over the town. Her former subjects walked through the streets, excited to spend Christmas with their families. "Lucky bastards," she thought to herself. They got to spend time with their loved ones, while she was banned from seeing the only person in this town that she truly loved. She knew that it was her fault that she couldn't see Henry; she had made things very difficult for the townspeople. She hated how Snow and her prince had stood in the town square, in front of everyone and told her that she didn't have the right to see the son that she had raised single-handedly for ten years because she wasn't related to him by blood. That made her blood boil, so to speak. It was Snow White who was always in the way of her happiness. She had been unbearable back in their land, she was even worse in this one. Now she got to watch the Christmas celebrations from her window by herself, the exact opposite of all of those false cheery Christmas movies Henry had made her watch. Regina's phone rang and interrupted her from her thoughts. She pulled it out and groaned when she saw the caller id.

"Yes, Miss Swan," she answered in a regal tone. She listened to Emma explain that she was tied up with a case and she needed her to pick up Henry from Jefferson's. "I would be happy to," she paused, "Goodbye."

She hung up with a smile on her face. She headed down the stairs and walked outside the door, making sure to lock the door behind her. She thought back to the scene at the town square a few days ago. She remembered how Henry had wanted to spend part of the holiday with her and a plan formed in her mind. Snow couldn't ban Henry from spending Christmas with her if that was what Henry wanted, could she?

* * *

Emma and Mulan arrived at the hospital with August following behind them. She stepped through the doors and looked around for Dr. Whale. She found him in his office, a few bottles of vodka lying around his desk. Dr. Whale looked up at her.

"Hey, pretty lady," he slurred. Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"First of all, you slept with my mother so that takes this to a whole new level of creepiness. Second of all, you have a patient to attend to. Drink some water and do your job." She walked out of the room. Dr. Whale grumbled at her, but stood up, setting the bottle in his hand down.

He stepped out of the room, trying to appear sober. He began attending to August and found that there was nothing wrong with him, besides being completely made of wood, but he recommended that he stay the night just in case. At that moment, Marco and Archie came in and rushed to August's bedside. Whale rolled his eyes at the sappiness of their family reunion.

When he finished with everything, he went back to his office and picked up the bottle. He took another long sip, hoping that it would help block the memories of his brother, his father, and most of all, how much he missed the man he once loved.

* * *

Regina stood at the entrance of Jefferson's house. She hadn't seen him since before the curse broke, and she guessed that he probably wouldn't be too happy to see her. She quickly rapped on the door. The door opened to reveal Jefferson who, just as she predicted, wasn't too happy to see her.

"What do you want?"

"I'm here to pick up my son." Jefferson stared blankly at her.

"I thought Emma was supposed to pick him up?"

"Miss Swan got tied up at work and asked me to pick him up." Jefferson nodded curtly and opened the door to let her in. She followed him into the house.

"Henry," Jefferson yelled, "Your mother's here!" She heard the sound of running down the stairs and Henry soon bounded into the room, Grace right behind her. Henry was surprised that Regina was there instead of Emma, but he still grinned when he saw his mom.

"Hey Mom!" He ran into her arms and gave her a hug. "I need to go get something, I'll be right back." With that he and Grace dashed out of the room. Regina turned to Jefferson.

"So, what are your plans for the holiday? Spending the day with Grace, possibly your doctor?" Jefferson glared at her.

"Yes, what about you? Dusting off one of your finest champagnes as you listen to Christmas music by yourself?" Regina wanted to curse him for that, but she was trying really hard to be good for Henry.

"I have far better plans than that," she stood up as Henry came back into the room with his backpack, "Merry Christmas Jefferson." She put his hand on Henry's shoulder and walked with him out of the house.

When they arrived at the house, Regina brought Henry into the kitchen and fixed him a snack. It was a few moments later when she brought up the subject of Christmas.

"Henry, I was thinking that maybe you could spend Christmas with me. You could go to your grandmother's party and then sneak out and spend the morning with me. We can build a gingerbread house and watch all your favorite movies like we used to. I haven't been the best mother recently, but I want to make things better. What do you say?"

Henry considered this. He loved Emma and his grandparents but he also wanted to spend the holidays with Regina. He knew that Snow would be mad at him for leaving, but he would see them at the party and celebrate with them then.

"Sounds good." Regina smiled at him; maybe this Christmas wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you guys so much for your continued support for this story. I've enjoyed your reviews, and your comments will be addressed in future chapters. I'm planning to finish this story before the end of the year, so I hope you continue to read.

* * *

Mulan made her way through the main street of Storybrooke. It had been only three weeks since she and Aurora had found themselves in this strange town with Emma and Snow White after their battle with Cora and Hook. She was just starting to find her way around the town. Her days usually involved working with Emma at the Sheriff's station, visiting Aurora and Belle at the library, having dinner at Granny's, and spending the evening in her room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, though Aurora often came over from her room to talk.

After everything that had happened in the forest, Mulan was happy that she had Aurora here with her. She had gained a newfound respect for her on their adventure, and now she felt something more for the princess. She started to notice how beautiful she was, especially when she smiled, how adorable her laugh was, and how happy it made her feel to see her happy. She recently began feeling an overwhelming feeling to kiss her, but she remembered that Aurora loved Phillip in a way that she could never love her.

She reached the door of the library and put a smile on her face despite her sadness. She opened the door and found Belle sitting at the front desk, reading a red book. She looked up at the sound of the door and grinned when she saw Mulan standing there. She got up and pulled her friend into a hug.

"Hello, Mulan." Mulan nodded at her and then looked around the library for Aurora, but didn't see her.

"Is Aurora here?" Belle shook her head.

"You just missed her. I sent her on some errands," she gestured at the empty table to the side of the desk, "We can catch up until she gets back." Mulan sat in one of the chairs while Belle sat in the other. With all of the craziness of the Christmas season, they hadn't gotten a chance to talk recently. Belle broke the silence.

"So, how are things at the Sheriff's station?"

"They're good. Not very eventful, other than we found some strange wooden man in the woods earlier today. Emma seemed to know who he was though, we took him to the hospital and then I left to come here. How are things at the library?"

"Rather quiet today. Nobody really comes to read on Christmas. We didn't get anyone but Ruby…and you of course. The usual visitors," Belle leaned back in her chair, "I've been reading all about this Christmas holiday. There are some very interesting traditions, but Ruby says that every family has their own traditions. Of course, I'm sure Christmas at the diner is going to be great, don't you think? To spend it with friends and loved ones." She saw Mulan stiffen at the mention of loved ones. She looked at her curiously, a look of realization dawned on her. "Have you told her how you feel?"

Mulan looked down, tracing a pattern on the table. "I can't," she mumbled, "She loves Phillip." Belle contemplated this.

"I've seen the way her face lights up when you come and visit her. It's kind of how Ruby looks at me."

Mulan looked up at her. "You really think so?" She didn't want to get her hopes up too high.

Belle smiled at her. "I do. You should tell her how you feel at the party tonight."

"I'll think about it." At that moment, Aurora reentered the library, clutching a bag. She looked over and saw Belle and Mulan talking. As Belle had predicted, her face lit up at the sight of Mulan. She ran over and threw her arms around her. Mulan cautiously returned the hug. The three of them sat at the table and discussed their plans for the holiday. Belle looked between Mulan and Aurora, a plan forming in her mind.

* * *

Emma walked up to Regina's door. Her experience with August today had stressed her out and she was looking forward to spending some time with Henry at the diner before going back to her mother's party. She knocked quietly, yet firmly on the door and waited for it to open. The door swung open to reveal Henry, who grinned at the sight of his mother. Regina came up behind him and smiled politely at Emma.

"Good afternoon Miss Swan. I trust that the situation was taken care of without incident?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, it was. Thanks for picking up Henry," she looked down at Henry, "Ready to go, kid?" Henry ran to grab his backpack. Emma returned to Regina.

"I hope you have a Merry Christmas Regina. Sorry about my mom. I can bring him over tomorrow afternoon so that you can spend some time with him." Regina nodded.

"I would like that. Merry Christmas to you too." Henry reappeared and she kissed him goodbye, winking at Henry. Henry winked back at her and waved goodbye to his mother. He left with Emma and they made their way to the diner.

* * *

Dr. Victor Whale made his way to the docks. The effects of the vodka hadn't done anything to numb his pain. He stood at the edge of the docks, ready to jump into the water below.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leroy was watching him, a bottle of eggnog in his hands. Victor turned around, glaring at the dwarf.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Leroy made his way over to where Victor was standing. He grabbed Victor to prevent him from jumping. Victor struggled out of his grip, but his efforts were futile. For a dwarf, he was surprisingly strong. When Victor had stopped struggling, Leroy let go and sat at the edge of the dock and gestured for Victor to do the same.

"I know the holidays suck, but it doesn't mean you have to kill yourself." Leroy smiled at him. When Victor didn't answer, he nudged him. "What's bugging you, rough day at the hospital?"

Victor chuckled; he wished his problems were that simple. "No, it's just…" he paused to figure out how to phrase it, "I just need to forget, and it's not like anyone would miss me anyway."

Leroy frowned at him, "I would miss you. Don't you have any family here? Or a," he put his fingers into air quotes, "True love?"

Victor looked even more depressed at that. "No," he tried to change the subject, "What about you? Shouldn't you be at Snow White's party?"

Leroy shuddered thinking about Snow's earlier request; "Things are kind of crazy over there."

"I bet." They sat in silence for a while. Leroy passed Victor some of his eggnog. He reluctantly took it.

"At least you have people who love you. Why are you out here by yourself? I thought Christmas was supposed to be spent with loved ones or something?" Leroy looked at him. He wanted to spend Christmas with Astrid, but he didn't know whether she would want to see him. Still, the doctor was right, Christmas was about being with loved ones.

Leroy stood up. "You're right. There's somewhere I need to be," he helped Victor up, "I'm going to take you to the hospital, make you get there okay. Just promise that you won't try to kill yourself. I'll check on you later. Okay?"

Victor nodded. He liked Leroy's company, but he didn't want to get in his way. "Alright. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Leroy started to lead Victor back to the hospital.

* * *

The diner was relatively packed, the citizens of Storybrooke looking to get their last meal at the diner in before it closed for Christmas tomorrow. Emma and Henry found their way to one of the empty booths and slid in. Ruby came over, grinning down at the two of them.

"Let me guess, hot chocolate with cinnamon for each of you."

"Yes please," Henry sat up straighter in his seat. Ruby walked to the kitchen to place their order, wishing that she could stay and talk to Emma and forget about the others in the diner.

Henry turned to Emma. "Do you think Mary Margaret and David are going to have good food at the party?"

Emma chuckled. "Knowing Mary Margaret's extreme attention to detail with the entire party, they probably will." She let out an exasperated huff at what her mother would make her do in preparation for tonight when they got back to their house. Ruby brought over their hot chocolates, and Emma took a sip, enjoying the delicious flavors of the chocolate, whipped cream, and cinnamon.

Henry took a big gulp of his hot chocolate, then replied, "If you get too stressed you can come over with me to Regina's. We're going to watch Christmas movies."

Emma put down her hot chocolate. "What are you talking about?"

"Regina asked me to sneak out after the party so that we could spend Christmas morning together. You could join us. It would be a lot of fun." Emma narrowed her eyes, she would be happy to let Henry spend the morning at Regina's, but she didn't like how she was making plans with Henry behind her back.

Henry looked curiously at Emma. "Are you okay?" Emma took a sip of her hot chocolate and smiled at her son.

"I'm great," she replied. She continued talking to Henry, deciding to simply discuss her plans with Regina later.


	5. Chapter 4

An hour later, Granny shooed everyone out of the diner so that it could close early for Christmas. Ruby waved at Emma and Henry as they exited with the other customers. When the last person left, Ruby locked the front door and changed the sign from open to closed. She picked up a dishrag to start cleaning the messy tables, when Granny cleared her throat behind her, which meant that she wanted to talk to her about something. Ruby cautiously walked over, searching her brain to figure out what she wanted to talk about. Granny gestured to one of the seats at the counter and Ruby sat.

"I happened to overhear your comments earlier today," Ruby looked at her confused, "about telling Belle how you feel." Ruby groaned, of course nothing escaped Granny's wolf hearing.

"What do I do Granny?" Ruby knew it was no use avoiding the subject. "What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I'm not good enough for her? What if I hurt her?" Granny grabbed a newspaper that was lying on the counter, rolled it up, and whacked Ruby on the side of the head.

"Ow. What was that for?" Ruby rubbed the spot on her head where she was hit.

"I thought we had gotten past this," Granny placed the newspaper back on the counter.

"Gotten past what?"

"Your guilt for what happened to Peter," Ruby bristled at the mention of her ex-boyfriend, "You didn't know what you were, you didn't know how to prevent it from happening. If anything it's my fault for not being honest with you. But you have control over the wolf now, it's not going to happen again."

Ruby nodded sadly, she still lived with the regret of what she had done, but Granny did have a point. Granny continued, "You are a fine young lady with a big heart and you deserve to be happy. Belle cares about you and she wouldn't be dating you if she didn't think you were good enough for her. If you don't tell her how you feel, she won't ever know."

Ruby considered this for a moment. A voice in her head still told her that she was a monster, but her thoughts of Belle drowned it out. She smiled at Granny, "You're right, thanks Granny, for everything."

Granny smiled back at her granddaughter, "That's the spirit. Now go get ready for the party. It's Christmas, we should be celebrating." Ruby hopped off her seat and waved goodbye as she headed out the door. She ran to the Inn and up to her room. She got ready, putting on a red dress and applying her makeup. When she was pleased with how she looked, she threw on her coat, and placed her presents for Snow and Belle in the inside pocket of her coat. She headed over to the Florist Shop to pick up some flowers before she headed to the library. If she was going to tell Belle how much she loved her, she wanted it to be perfect and she had after all promised to make Belle's first Christmas special.

* * *

For the second time that day, Emma made her way to Regina's house. She knew how much Regina wanted to spend time with Henry and she wished that she could get her mother to budge on letting Regina come over for the holiday, but she did not approve of her making plans with her son behind her back. When she arrived at the door, she raised her fist and knocked on the door.

Regina opened the door, a small smile formed on her lips, "To whom do I owe the pleasure of seeing you a mere hour after I last saw you?"

Emma straightened her posture, "Henry told me about your plans. I would have been happy to bring him over tomorrow afternoon, but I wish that we could have been on the same page."

"Did you ever think that I don't like the idea of having to have scheduled time with my son that would be decided by a woman who just decided to randomly pop into his life and has as much idea how to raise a child as her own parents?"

Emma was hurt by those comments, but she tried not to let it show, "Look Regina, I know you're trying to change, but I don't think it's a good idea for Henry to come over here."

Regina stepped forward, "What do you mean?"

Emma stood her ground, "What I mean is that Henry is not going to be coming over here after the party, he will spend Christmas with me and my family, and I will bring him around in the afternoon like I had promised."

"Wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'll try to do better."

"Merry Christmas Regina," Emma turned around and walked away. Regina stood watching her, hurt on her face and in her heart. As Emma walked away, she knew that Regina was really trying, but she couldn't deal with her right now. She just hoped that she could get through this Christmas alive.

* * *

As the sun started to set, Belle, Mulan, and Aurora still sat at the table in the library. Belle checked her watch, as much as she was having fun, she knew that Ruby would be here any minute and she didn't have a lot of time. She stood up looking at the two of them.

"Aurora, you and I should start closing up the library," she turned to Mulan, "You should start heading back to the Inn to get ready for the party." Mulan opened her mouth to argue that she would stay here and help, but Belle gave her a look that Mulan knew that meant there was no arguing with her. Mulan stood up, said her goodbyes, and left the library.

When the door closed behind her, Belle turned to Aurora. "Are you excited for the Christmas party?"

Aurora looked at her strangely. "Yes, of course." Belle went to grab the book she had been reading and brought it over.

"There is this very interesting thing I read in this book." She thumbed through the book until she found what she was looking for. She put the book on the table, opened to a page with a picture of a strange green plant.

"It says here that this plant is called mistletoe and apparently around Christmas if you find yourself under one of these with another person, you're supposed to kiss them. It sounds like a strange custom, but it would be really nice if Ruby and I kiss under one tonight." Aurora stared at the page, tracing her finger on the outline of the mistletoe picture.

"That would be lovely," said Aurora, "Though you could kiss Ruby whenever you want. You don't need a plant to tell you when."

Belle laughed, "That's true. But you have to admit, it's strange what people in this world come up with." Aurora stared off into space, she seemed to be thinking hard about something.

A few moments later, Aurora broke the silence. "Do you think that one can love more than one person?" Belle smiled, she had hoped that she would get a response like this.

"Absolutely. Rumplestiltskin was my first love and a part of me will always love him. We simply weren't right for each other, and we moved on with our lives. Ruby makes me happy, and I'm in love with her." Belle paused; it was the first time she had said that to anyone. Aurora nodded in agreement, she understood what Belle meant.

Their discussion was cut short by Ruby entering the library, carrying a bouquet of roses. Belle ran over to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. Ruby handed her the flowers. Belle smiled widely, "They're beautiful."

"Just like you," Belle blushed and responded, "How was my father?" She knew that there was only one place to get flowers in town. She hadn't spoken to her father much since the mine cart incident, but she hoped one day that she could reconcile with him.

"Good," Ruby responded. Belle's father had glared at her the whole time she was there. It was only when she was checking out that her father had told her to take care of her daughter and that he liked her much better than Rumplestiltskin. She knew it wasn't a full approval, but she didn't want to break her promise to him.

Belle turned to Aurora, "You're free to go. You can go get ready for the party."

"What about closing up the library?"

Belle shook her head, "It's Christmas. See you tonight." Aurora said her goodbyes and headed out the door. When the door closed behind her, Belle turned to Ruby.

"Now where were we?" She pulled Ruby in for a deeper, more passionate kiss.


	6. Chapter 5

Victor finished his rounds on the last of his patients and left one of his nurses in charge of the hospital for the evening. As there was only one patient who had an incurable condition, there was no reason for him to stick around for the evening. He had sobered up a little over the last few hours and he kept thinking about his talk with Leroy at the docks. He wanted to believe what the dwarf had said: that people actually did care about him, but he was having a hard time. He started packing up his bag for the evening, preparing to spend Christmas alone.

"Hello Victor," said a familiar voice behind him. Victor's heart started pounding. He turned around and was greeted with the sight of the man he loved. He stood there in shock, taking him in. He hadn't changed much, though none of them really had. Realizing that he was waiting for a response, Victor stuttered, "H-Hello Jefferson."

Jefferson wore his devious smile. He had played over their reunion again and again in his head, and he was glad that he had finally worked up the courage to see him. Still, it saddened him to see how depressed Victor looked a few minutes ago. He wanted to pull him in his arms like he had used to, but he held back.

They remained staring at each other, taking each other in. Finally, Victor asked the question that was on his mind, "What are you doing here?"

Jefferson stepped forward, "It's Christmas. I'm taking you out on the town."

"Why?" Though what he really wanted to say was, "Why now?"

"I'm not letting you be alone on Christmas. I've missed you and we have so much to talk about." A part of Victor wanted to refuse him and spend his Christmas wallowing in self-pity, but a larger part of him longed to see him again, to spend time with him, just like old times. He dropped his bag and held out his hand to Jefferson.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Leroy paced in front of the church. He had been avoiding doing this since the curse had broken, but he knew he had to see Astrid. He slowly opened the door and stepped into the church. In twenty-eight years in Storybrooke he had only been inside on special occasions. The scale of the church impressed him; it looked bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. As he looked over at the stained glass windows, Astrid walked towards him.

"Dreamy?" Leroy looked up at the sound of her voice and turned around to see the love of his life.

"Nova," he tentatively walked toward her, "Merry Christmas."

"What brings you here Dreamy?" She sat down at one of the pews, and motioned for him to do the same.

"It's Grumpy now." He couldn't look at her as he sat down next to her, and missed her look of shock and sadness. She was able to figure out what had happened after he had told her that they couldn't be together back in the Enchanted Forest, and she realized how heartbroken he was. She had thought that Dreamy had moved on with his life, but she could see on his face that he had been thinking of her too.

"I came here to see you," Grumpy answered her previous question, "How have you been? Are you happy now?"

Nova tried not to cry. She wasn't really happy. She loved being a fairy and still devoted her life towards becoming a fairy godmother, but she knew that something was missing in her life. She shook her head, "No. Are you?"

Leroy shook his head, "Not really. It sucks being alone on Christmas. Yeah, I could go to Snow White's party, but she wants to humiliate me by putting me in a Santa suit. I'd rather spend Christmas at The Rabbit Hole than do that."

Nova put her hand on his and he looked into her eyes, "I'm sorry that you're so unhappy. I remember how happy you used to be. How you were full of life and were willing to take risks. I loved your ability to dream. I still love you and if there's a way we can be together, I want to try." She leaned over and kissed Grumpy. He was taken by surprise, but soon he kissed her back. He reluctantly pulled away from her and smiled at her.

"I love you too. I want us to be together. I don't know how, but there has to be a way." He leaned in to kiss her again, but Nova stopped him. He looked at her quizzically and she said, "I have to go, the Blue Fairy wants us to visit the patients in the hospital. Go to Snow's party, have a good time and I'll see you on Christmas morning."

Grumpy nodded, "Merry Christmas Nova. See you tomorrow." He got up from the pew and skipped out of the church, the happiest he had been in a long time.

* * *

Ruby, Belle, Granny, Mulan, and Aurora walked up to Snow and Charming's front door. Each one of them was excited for the party, though for different reasons. Ruby rapped her fist on the door. Snow White opened it and embraced Ruby as soon as she saw her. She shook the other's hands and let them inside. The apartment had been completely covered with Christmas decorations; baskets of food adorned the tables. The party was empty so far, other than Charming, who was tending bar, Emma who was sitting on the couch deep in thought, and Henry who was playing with a couple of kids from his school, Grace among them. Sneezy came over and took their coats and left to put them in another room. Ruby handed Snow her present and took Belle by the hand leading her over to Emma. Mulan and Aurora followed them while Granny made a beeline for the bar. Snow placed the present under the tree and looked around the apartment. She was eager for the party to begin.


	7. Chapter 6

Soon the Charming apartment was packed with people. Everyone was laughing and talking. A couple of people were drunkenly standing by the bar loudly singing Christmas carols. Snow White was doing her best to be a great hostess to her guests. She was moving around the room talking to the various guests. Everyone was having a good time. Except for one person.

Emma couldn't help but notice the sad look on Henry's face. He was sitting to the side staring off into space. She walked over to him and crouched down so that she was on his level.

"What's wrong, kid?" Emma did her best to make herself be heard over the noise of the party.

Henry looked up at her. "Something's missing. I wish my mom was here too." Emma was still a little angry at Regina for their argument earlier in the day, but she thought of Regina sitting by herself in her giant house without anyone to celebrate with her. As evil as Regina was, she was still human. Nobody should be alone on Christmas.

Having made her decision, she stood up and gestured to Henry, "Come on, let's go get your mom." Henry jumped up from the chair and followed Emma out the door. Emma told Snow that she was taking Henry for a walk and that she would be right back. They made their way into the cold night and started their trek to Regina's house.

* * *

Snow watched as her daughter and grandson left the party. She had a feeling that they were doing more than just going for a walk, but she couldn't leave the party to go after them, not with so many guests to entertain. She had been nervous all week about making sure that the party was perfect, and so far it had gone well. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, at least those who made it. She noticed that Grumpy had not made an appearance yet. She hoped that he wasn't still mad at her because of her request earlier that day.

Her mood brightened when she saw Grumpy walk through the door. She ran up to him and hugged him. "Leroy, you came."

"Of course I did. Where else would I spend Christmas?" Grumpy surveyed the party. A couple of the dwarves at the bar waved at him and he waved back. He turned back to Snow, "Sorry I stormed out earlier."

"I'm sorry too," Snow replied, "I shouldn't have demanded that you do something you weren't comfortable with. Merry Christmas Leroy. Help yourself to some food and drink."

Grumpy shook his head, "Not now. I have a job to do. Where is my Santa suit?" Snow smiled at him and took him to the back room so he could get changed.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Victor followed behind Jefferson, blindfold over his eyes. Jefferson held his hand so that he wouldn't fall over.

"We'll be there soon." Victor felt Jefferson lead him up a flight of stairs. Wherever they were going was high up. They finally reached the top of the staircase that seemed endless. Jefferson pulled off Victor's blindfold and Victor gasped at the sight before him. They were standing on the roof of a building, and they could see most of the town in front of them. They could see the lights of the various houses glowing with Christmas lights. They saw the Blue Fairy and a group of fairies make their way to the hospital. They saw Emma and Henry step out of an apartment building for a walk. He had never seen the town from this perspective.

"It's beautiful," Victor said.

"It is." Jefferson nodded, "I come up here some times to think, but it's even more impressive to look at it around Christmas." He sat down on the roof and Victor soon joined him. They sat there taking in the scenery. They kept glancing at each other, but they kept missing each other. Finally, they both locked eyes with each other. Jefferson leaned in to kiss him. Victor was taken by surprise but soon returned the kiss. Even after all these years, it still felt right.

As they pulled away, Victor cleared his throat, "So, what does this mean for us?"

Jefferson smiled, "I'd like for us to try again. Just take it slow and see where it goes from there."

Victor's heart fluttered in his chest. "I'd like that too." He had missed Jefferson, more than he had realized and he was glad that he had come to him this Christmas.

Jefferson smiled. "Great. Now I heard that you were planning on celebrating Christmas alone. That simply will not do. Come over for brunch with me and Grace."

Victor nodded. He had heard about Jefferson's daughter, but he had never gotten a chance to meet her. "I would love to." He was glad that he didn't jump earlier that day. He was still distraught over his brother and his father, but he was glad that Jefferson had come back to him. He hoped that he could eventually learn to be happy again and hoped that Jefferson would be a part of that. He stared back down at the town, taking Jefferson's hand in his own.

* * *

Regina settled into her bathtub. Letting the warm water wash over her and soothe her. She wished that things would be different, but there was nothing that she could do to change the circumstances. She had made her bed and now she had to lie in it. Still, she wished that Henry could be with her on this Christmas Eve. He was the only one who seemed to realize that she was trying to change and redeem herself.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock on her door. She let out an exasperated sigh as she pulled herself out of the tub and through on her bathrobe. She hoped that it wasn't carolers, because she might have to break her no-magic promise if it was. She walked to the door and opened it. She was surprised to see Emma and Henry standing on her front porch, but delighted as well.

Henry ran up to her and hugged her. "Hello Henry," Regina grinned at her son. She looked up at Emma, "What are you two doing here?"

Emma looked her up and down. There was something about Regina in a bathrobe that was attractive to her. She looked her directly in the eyes to stop herself from looking down. "We've come to bring you to the party."

Regina raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought your mother didn't want me there?"

"I'll talk to her about it, but Henry wants you there. I want you there." Regina smiled at Emma's admission and looked down to see Henry nodding in agreement. She couldn't say no to her son.

"Let me throw on some clothes." Regina closed the door and ran upstairs. She quickly changed into one of her nicest outfits and strode to the door. She opened it up and turned to Emma and Henry.

"Let's go."


	8. Chapter 7

Snow White was talking to Ashley and Sean, who held their daughter in his arms, but she kept glancing at the door for signs of Emma and Henry. After what felt like an eternity, Emma entered the room followed by Henry followed by Regina. Snow gasped and gripped the wine glass she held in her hand, shattering it. The party grew silent as more and more of the guests saw Regina make her way into the party. Those closest to her backed away. The only sound in the room was the crying of the baby in Sean's arms.

Snow stepped forward, and said as calmly as she could, "What are you doing here?"

Emma and Henry stepped in front of Regina. "I invited her," Emma replied.

Charming finally pushed through the crowd to stand next to his wife. He looked in disbelief at his daughter. "Why would you do that?"

Henry spoke up for his mother, "I wanted my moms here. Both of them. It's not Christmas without them."

Snow ignored Henry and turned to Emma. "This is supposed to be our celebration with our family and our friends."

"Regina is family. She raised Henry for most of his life, that makes her his mother too."

"But she tried to kill us, several times."

"She's trying to change. Besides, it's Christmas. She shouldn't be alone on Christmas, nobody should."

Snow considered this. As much as she hated Regina, Emma had a point. The partygoers watched this exchange with interest, as though watching a tennis match. Snow looked at Charming, who shrugged, then looked back at Regina.

"Fine. You can stay. Just don't curse anyone."

Regina smiled, "Thank you Snow." She addressed the entire party, "Merry Christmas everyone." The rest of the party just stared at her. An emphatic yell of, "Ho Ho Ho!" broke the silence as Grumpy came into the room in full costume, with a sack over his shoulder. The kids ran towards Grumpy Claus and their parents followed after them to keep an eye on them. Emma and Henry pulled Regina over to the snack table.

With everyone now distracted, Snow started to cry. Charming put his arm around her.

"It's okay, I've got you."

"I just wanted everything to be perfect," Snow buried her face into Charming's shoulder and sobbed.

"It is perfect. All of our friends and family are here and you've put together a wonderful party. This is the best Christmas I've ever had and it's all thanks to you." Snow pulled away from Charming and looked up, her face shining with tears.

"You really think so?"

Charming smiled at his wife. "I know so. Don't worry about Regina; I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Relax, enjoy the holiday." Snow smiled and pulled Charming in for a long kiss.

* * *

The hospital was empty except for Marco, Archie, August, and a nurse. August lay down on the bed, thinking about all that he had done. He had spent the last few hours telling his father about his life since he had left the Enchanted Forest in the wardrobe with baby Emma, leaving out his experience in Thailand. He told Marco and Archie about his many mistakes; how he knew that he needed to make things right with Emma, how she would probably never forgive him. Marco consoled his son, just glad that his little boy had returned to him. Archie went down to get some snacks and ran into the Blue Fairy and her band of fairies. He led them up to August's hospital room.

Marco turned around and saw the Blue Fairy. He ran up to her. "Please make my son human again." The Blue Fairy looked at August, then back at Marco.

"He's broken his promises. I can't do anything." Marco refused to take no for an answer.

"Please. Give him another chance." August looked over at his father.

"It's okay. I deserve to stay this way." Marco shook his head; he turned back to the fairy.

"Please. It's Christmas." The Blue Fairy considered this. She was about to refuse, but a sudden idea popped into her head.

"I'll do it. However, only if he promises to do a favor for me." August sat up in his bed.

"I'll do whatever you ask." The Blue Fairy smiled at him. She raised her wand and August turned into a human once again. He stood up, examining his now human body.

"Thank you." Marco walked over to August and hugged him. Marco turned back to the Blue Fairy. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." The Blue Fairy gestured to her fairies and they made their way out of the room and back to the church.

Pulling out of his father's embrace, August turned to Archie, pulling a letter out of his pocket. "Will you give this to Emma?" Archie took the letter and nodded. The nurse came over and let the three of them leave the hospital. The three walked out talking about their Christmas plans.

* * *

Back at the church, the other fairies prepared to go to sleep. Nova walked up to the Blue Fairy. The Blue Fairy turned around, as if she expected this conversation.

"My answer is no." Nova's face fell.

"But there has to be a way."

"Dwarves can't love."

"He loves me, and I love him. Why can't I be with him and be a fairy godmother." The Blue Fairy laughed.

"Fairy godmother? You're never going to be a fairy godmother. You're not good enough to be one." Nova started to cry. Everything she had worked for was for nothing. Her sadness was soon replaced by anger.

"Then I quit." The Blue Fairy laughed.

"You can't quit being a fairy."

"But I can quit being your servant." With that she turned around and walked out of the church. The Blue Fairy watched her leave in shock. She knew that Nova would come crawling back sooner or later, so there was no need to strip her wings. Nova walked into the cold winter air, feeling empowered yet scared for her future.

* * *

Ruby and Belle stepped outside and walked to the town square hand in hand. Ruby was very nervous about what she was about to do and Belle was wondering why Ruby wanted to leave the party.

When they reached the town square, Ruby stopped and led Belle over to a bench. Belle was wondering why Ruby looked so nervous to be out here with her. Ruby looked down at her girlfriend and took a deep breath. She had to get this out.

"I-I wanted to give you your present tonight." She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small wrapped gift. She handed it to her. Belle smiled at the sight of the present. She took it in her hands and noted that it felt like a small book. Belle couldn't wait to see what book she had gotten her, but she didn't know why Ruby was looking at her like she wasn't going to like it. She opened the present and found that it was indeed a leather-bound book, but it didn't have any markings on the cover or side like most books did. She flipped open to the first page and saw an inscription of Ruby's handwriting that said, "Merry Christmas Belle."

She flipped to the next page and saw more writing in Ruby's handwriting. She turned to the next page and saw the same thing. She flipped through the next pages and saw more of her writing until she came to some blank pages. What she had thought was a book, was a notebook. She wondered why Ruby was giving her a notebook. She opened to the first page and read to herself. "Once upon a time, there was a girl with a terrible secret and a horrible past. Her world changed when a stranger stepped into her grandmother's diner. She was beautiful, yet she looked lost. The girl, a waitress at the diner, took her order, mesmerized by her charming accent. She brought her an iced tea, and then another, and then another. After the third iced tea, the girl finally worked up the courage to speak to the stranger. Her name was Belle and she loved to read…" Belle looked up at Ruby, tears in her eyes.

"You wrote our story down," She flipped to the blank pages, "and is this where the rest of it will go?"

Ruby smiled, "It's not Shakespeare, but I hoped you would like it."

Belle smiled back, "I love it. It's my favorite story." Belle stood up and pulled Ruby in for a kiss.

Ruby pulled away and blurted out, "I love you." Belle wanted to jump for joy. Ruby loved her. She threw her arms around her.

"I love you too." Ruby looked deep into her eyes. She was so happy that Belle loved her back. She kissed her again and they stood like that for a while.

Belle pulled away and said suggestively, "Let's go home so I can show you how much I love you."

Ruby smiled and held her hand out. "Yes, my love." Belle took it and they made their way home, everything was right with the world.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Hope you have a great 2014. I'm almost done with this story. Next chapter will be the epilogue to this story and will set up the next multi-chapter fic in this universe.

* * *

Mulan and Aurora had been nervous when they initially arrived. They had never known what Christmas was until two weeks ago, much less been to a Christmas party. A few hours later, they were enjoying themselves, eating, drinking, and talking to the various other guests. At this moment they were on opposite ends of the room, Mulan was talking to Emma, Regina, and Henry, while Aurora was talking to Leroy, who had changed out of his Santa suit.

Aurora excused herself to get a refill on her drink. As she walked over to the bar, she met Mulan near the bar. Mulan smiled at her. She definitely preferred the warrior's smile to her frown.

"Having fun?" Aurora nodded. Mulan was working up the courage to ask Aurora out. She could fight trolls and other enemies, but she couldn't seem to do it. Mulan opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"I really like Christmas," Aurora filled the silence. Aurora glanced up and noticed the plant that was in Belle's book, mistletoe, was hanging right above her and Mulan.

"Mistletoe," Aurora whispered to herself. Mulan looked at her strangely.

"What is that?"

"Belle says that people under it have to kiss," Aurora smiled at Mulan, "I guess this is my lucky night." Before Mulan spoke up Aurora leaned in and connected their lips. Aurora felt that kissing Mulan was different than kissing Phillip, not better or worse, just different. She liked it very much and could get used to doing it more often. Mulan was happy to be finally kissing Aurora, and was pleased to find that it lived up to her fantasies.

As they pulled away, they heard Granny say, "Finally," as she walked by them. Aurora and Mulan gazed at each other lost in each other's eyes.

Mulan finally cleared her throat and worked up her courage. "Will you go out with me?"

Aurora smiled, "Of course." They walked over to the couch and talked to each other as time flew by, not noticing the others around them. Both were excited about the future and Aurora made a mental note to thank Belle later.

* * *

Henry separated himself from his mothers and went to play with the other kids. Emma and Regina looked at each other, finally able to talk without their son there.

"Thank you Emma," Regina said politely, "for coming back for me." Emma was glad to finally be on first name basis with the mayor again and smiled at Regina.

"No problem. I'm sorry that I snapped at you earlier. I shouldn't have banned you from seeing Henry. You deserve to be in his life too. I want us to find a way to make this work. For Henry," Regina gave a rare genuine smile. She meant what she said. She wanted Henry to be in her life, but it surprised her how much she wanted Emma in her life as well.

"I want that too." Emma held out her hand and they shook on it. Snow walked over to them. She took a deep breath and addressed Regina.

"Would you like to come over tomorrow for Christmas morning?" Regina didn't like the idea of spending Christmas with the two idiots, but she knew that she would have to put up with them for Emma and Henry's sake.

"I'd be delighted. Merry Christmas Snow White."

"Merry Christmas Regina." With that Snow walked away from them and towards her husband. Regina turned back to Emma.

"It's getting late. I should get some rest before I come over tomorrow morning. Good night Emma. Merry Christmas"

"Good night, Regina. Merry Christmas. See you tomorrow." Regina walked away from Emma and said goodbye to Henry and told her that she would be seeing him tomorrow. He hugged her and told her that he couldn't wait. Pleased with the night's events, Regina left the party and headed home for the evening. She hoped that Henry and Emma would like the gift that she had planned for them.

* * *

Over the next hour, the guests started to leave the party, saying their goodbyes and wishing them a Merry Christmas. Soon, the apartment was empty other than Snow, Charming, Emma, and Henry. Snow closed the door and turned to her family, thrilled to pull off a successful Christmas party, one that not even Regina could ruin.

Her eyes raked over the mess of the party. There was a lot of cleaning to do tonight before they went to bed. Snow gave them their tasks.

"We don't have to whistle while we work, do we?" Snow rolled her eyes at Emma's reference to her movie, which was not very accurate. Henry yawned and Emma went to put him to bed. A few minutes later she returned, and joined her parents in cleaning up. The three of them managed to get the apartment nearly spotless surprisingly quickly and they soon went to bed.

Soon, the entirety of Storybrooke was asleep in their beds. Everyone dreamed of getting lots of great presents in the morning. They were looking forward to spending the day with their friends and family. Whether they had celebrated Christmas before or not, everyone knew that this Christmas would be a new experience for all.


	10. Epilogue

A/N: Here is the final chapter. Thank you to everyone who stuck with this until the end, even though Christmas is over. As I have stated in a previous note, I am planning a follow-up or prequel story for each pairing in this universe that will be released throughout the year. Each one will be marked in the Christmas In Storybrooke or C.I.S. Universe in the description. The next multi-chapter fic in this universe will follow up on some of the events of this story, particularly this chapter and will be Swan Queen and Snowing centric. I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

* * *

As the sun rose on Christmas morning, the snow began to fall. The streets of Storybrooke were empty as the citizens woke up to the presents under their trees. Over at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, Ruby opened her eyes and rolled over. She saw that Belle was still asleep next to her. She looked just as beautiful when she was asleep as she did when she was awake. Ruby smiled as she thought of the previous night's events and how lucky she was to have Belle in her life.

Her nose picked up the scent of pancakes from the diner and her stomach growled. She gently shook Belle awake. Belle grumbled, but didn't open her eyes. Ruby leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Wake up, Belle. It's Christmas morning."

Belle slowly opened her eyes and saw Ruby smiling at her, with so much love in her eyes. "Good morning," Ruby said to her. She leaned in and they shared a short and sweet kiss.

"Good morning," Belle replied, "Merry Christmas." She got out of bed and went to pull out some of her clean clothes that Ruby had let her store in her closet. She got dressed and Ruby did the same, much quicker than Belle. When Belle had finally pulled on her last shoe, Ruby lead her out of the room, locked the door behind them and brought her down to the Diner.

They entered the Diner to find Mulan and Aurora already sitting across from each other at one of the booths eating pancakes. Ruby and Belle slid into the booth next to them and Granny brought over plates for them. Ruby got up to hug her grandmother, then started to devour the pancakes in front of her, pouring syrup all over them.

Granny joined them and they ate breakfast together, talking about the events of the night before. Mulan and Aurora shared their story of the mistletoe and how they were going on their first date tomorrow. Belle grinned at the two of them, glad that she had been able to bring her friends together. Belle told everyone about Ruby's present, which caused everyone around the table to say, "Aw," and for Ruby to turn as Red as her hood. Granny leaned in and whispered how proud she was of her.

When everyone's plates were clean, and put away. Ruby ran to the tree and brought over the presents. After they were distributed, everyone opened them. Granny had gotten Ruby some DVDs, and some outfits that were "more appropriate for her" than what she had worn during their cursed phase, Belle some books, and for Mulan and Aurora, a copy of Mulan and Sleeping Beauty on DVD respectively. Mulan and Aurora looked very confused at the DVD packages, since they had never watched a movie before in their lives. Granny and Ruby promised to show them how to get the DVD player in their rooms to work.

Belle got Mulan and Aurora some books that she hoped would ease them into this new world more easily. She gave Granny some kitchen tools for the Diner. Ruby gave her grandmother a new blender and boxes of candy to Mulan and Aurora. Belle was surprised that Ruby had gotten her a pack of different flavored iced teas for her to try in addition to her present last night. Ruby opened her present from Belle and found a simple, yet beautiful necklace with a ruby in the center. She gasped when she saw it.

"It's beautiful," She put the necklace on and ran her fingers over the ruby, "I love you."

"I love you too," Belle smiled. This was the best first Christmas anyone could ever have.

Granny, Ruby, and Belle went to bring over some board games for them to play. Mulan turned to Aurora.

"Merry Christmas, princess." Mulan leaned in and lightly kissed her. Aurora smiled back.

"Merry Christmas, Mulan." Both girls had never heard of Christmas before a few weeks ago, but they both knew that they loved Christmas and couldn't wait to celebrate many more Christmases to come, hopefully together.

* * *

Jefferson woke up to Grace shaking him. He got out of bed and followed Grace down to their tree, which had a large number of presents under it. Grace started to open her presents and squealed at all of the new toys she had gotten, hugging her father and thanking him.

Jefferson heard a knock on the door and went to open it. He smiled at Victor standing at the front door.

"Merry Christmas," he gestured for Victor to come inside. Victor followed him down the hallway to the tree. Jefferson introduced Victor to Grace, and she smiled at him, glad that her father finally had a friend. Victor and Jefferson didn't correct her, deciding to tell her the truth at a later point.

Grace played with her new toys while Jefferson and Victor started to make breakfast for the three of them. They were interrupted by another knock. Jefferson was confused since he hadn't been expecting anyone else to come, but he made his way to the front door and opened it. On the other side stood Leroy and one of the fairies whose name he didn't know.

"How may I help you?"

"Nova and I are here to check on Doctor Whale. One of his nurses told us he would be here." Jefferson was even more confused.

"What do you mean, check up on?" Leroy explained what had happened on the docks yesterday. Jefferson was surprised to hear what had happened, and was extremely thankful that Leroy had been there to save Victor's life. He didn't know what he would do if he had never gotten to see him again. He opened the door wider and invited them in for breakfast. They walked inside the house and went into the kitchen. Victor saw Leroy and went over to thank him for what he had done.

Grace came in to see what the commotion was about. Jefferson told her that they would be having a few more guests and Nova went with Grace to play with her. Soon breakfast was ready, and the group was seated around the table. All of the adults giving thanks to the circumstances that had brought them all together on this holiday and for the second chances that life had given them.

* * *

Henry was sitting next to the tree when Emma came into the main room of the apartment, she sat with Henry staring at all of the presents under the tree while they waited for Snow and Charming to get up. Henry wanted to wake up his grandparents but Emma wouldn't let him. There had been an incident a week ago when she had walked into their room and saw things that she wished that she would never have to see again.

There was a knock at the door and Emma opened the door to reveal Regina. She was carrying an envelope in her hands. Emma let her in and Snow and Charming soon walked into the room. With everyone there, Henry started to open his presents and was overjoyed at all of the toys and comics he had received. Snow and Charming handed Emma her present, a new red leather jacket. Snow gave her husband a new gold watch and Charming gave his wife a free massage at the nearby spa. They kissed each other passionately and Regina rolled her eyes at them.

Henry opened his largest present and was thrilled that Emma had gotten him a Playstation 3; he ran over and hugged his mother. Regina sat on the couch watching the family, feeling a little left out. Emma noticed and handed her a present, which turned out to be apple-scented candles, oils and, body soaps. Henry handed both of his mothers a collage that he had made for each of them. Regina was touched by the effort that Henry had put into the collage.

As Regina hugged Henry, there was a knock on the door and Emma opened it. Archie stood on the other side and gave Emma August's letter and asked her to read it. Emma reluctantly agreed and wished Archie a Merry Christmas. Closing the door, she pocketed the letter and decided to read it later in the privacy of her own room. She wanted to hear what August had to say and she knew that if she could forgive Regina, she could forgive August as well. She turned back to her family.

Henry looked at Regina. He had noticed that his gifts so far had come from Emma and his grandparents, and wondered if his mother had gotten him anything. He noticed the envelope in her hand that had "Henry and Emma" written on it.

"What's in the envelope?"

Regina stood up, handing the envelope to Henry. "Over the last few years, I've never taken you outside of Storybrooke. I thought that we could go on a nice little vacation and I know your mother would want to come too." Emma looked intrigued by the prospect while Snow and Charming looked horrified. Henry opened the envelope and two four-day tickets to Disney World fell out. Henry picked up the tickets and looked so excited.

"I'm going to Disney World!" He handed Emma the other ticket, "We're going to Disney World!" He ran over and hugged his mother. Emma stared at the ticket in disbelief, she had never been on a vacation and she was looking forward to experiencing Disney World for the first time with her son.

"Hang on," Snow glared at Regina, "You want to take our daughter and our grandson…I mean your son out of the state by yourself?" Snow stood up. "We're coming with you."

Regina smirked at her and said sarcastically, "As much as I would love to have you and your husband tag along, I'm afraid that you won't be able to go. Unless you can find a way to cross the town line without losing your memories, of course." Snow and Charming contemplated this, they didn't know what they were going to do, but they had to find a way.

"If we find a way, we're coming with you."

"Deal." With that Snow and Charming went to prepare breakfast. Emma started to help Henry set up his new Playstation 3. Regina watched them all. Her Christmas may not have been ideal, but it wasn't as terrible as she had feared. She watched Emma and Henry work together and saw how happy they looked. She wondered if she could ever be that happy again. She was taking steps towards her redemption and she knew that she had a long way to go. But she hoped that things would work out in this land even though they hadn't in her land. She was thankful that Emma Swan had let her stay in their son's life after everything she had done. She hoped for a future in which she could have both of them in her life. As Henry and Emma looked over at her and smiled, she realized that this Christmas wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
